Abstract
Prestressed hollow core slabs (PHCSs) have commonly been applied to long-span structures, due to their excellent flexural capacity and deflection control performance. However, in quite a few cases, the web-shear strength at member ends subjected to high shear forces is insufficient, because the web of the PHCS is very thin, making it difficult to place shear reinforcement, and the prestress is not fully effective in transfer length regions. Accordingly, a variety of shear strengthening methods have been proposed to improve the web-shear strength of PHCS ends. In this study, experimental research was conducted to investigate the shear resistance mechanism of PHCS strengthened by core-filling method, which has been most widely used in the construction field. The number of filled cores and the shear reinforcement ratio were set as the main test variables, and the patterns and angles of shear cracks that occurred in the PHCS units and filled cores, respectively, and the strain behavior of the shear reinforcement, were measured and analyzed in detail. This study also analyzed the test results based on the current design codes, and proposed a modified shear strength equation that can be applied to the core-filled PHCS.
Highlights
Prestressed hollow core slabs (PHCSs) can reduce self-weight due to the presence of voids in the section, and because they are prefabricated in a factory as precast members, ensure excellent quality and reduced construction duration [1,2,3,4]
Experimental research was performed to investigate the shear resistance mechanism of the PHCS strengthened by the core-filling method
The number of filled cores and the shear reinforcement ratio were set as test variables, and the behavior of the specimens, as well as the patterns and angles of cracks that occurred in the PHCS units and filled cores, were analyzed in detail
Summary
Prestressed hollow core slabs (PHCSs) can reduce self-weight due to the presence of voids in the section, and because they are prefabricated in a factory as precast members, ensure excellent quality and reduced construction duration [1,2,3,4]. PHCSs exhibit high flexural strength and excellent deflection control performance because prestressing strands are placed in the bottom flange of the member, and they are widely applied to long-span structures [5,6,7,8]. Hawkins and Ghosh (2006) [13] reported that the thicker the depth of the PHCS, the lower the web-shear strength, and an additional strength reduction factor should be applied to ensure adequate safety for PHCS with a thickness greater than 315 mm. Since shear reinforcement cannot be placed in PHCS manufactured by using the extrusion method, the case of deep PHCS with a thickness greater than 315 mm can lead to very uneconomic design results
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